As complaints against overcharging and abusive tricycle drivers in the city continue to mount, the story of an honest driver is a welcome respite for the Tricycle Adjudication Board.

Ernesto Sambeon, 34, a tricycle driver of Logoy Diutay, Talon-talon has earned the respect and admiration of people for returning a wallet containing cash, credit cards and automated teller machine cards (with PIN numbers attached to it) to his passenger who had left it inside his vehicle.

The TAB, headed by City Legal Officer Norberto Patriarca yesterday afternoon facilitated the return of the wallet to its rightful owner, Felino Santos, a veteran media employed as news editor of GBPI-TV 11.

Patriarca said Sambeon exemplifies honesty, a virtue that is slowly fading among tricycle drivers during present hard times. Instead of taking interest in it, Sambeon turned over the wallet to the TAB to facilitate its return to the owner, he said.

Patriarca hoped that other drivers will follow Sambeon’s example. He believed that despite the mounting complaints against abusive drivers in the city, there are numerous honest tricycle drivers who are worthy of admiration and emulation.

In an interview, Sambeon said he did not hesitate to return the said wallet when he discovered it in his public utility transport few minutes after he dropped Santos at Campaner St. from Talon-talon around 2pm yesterday.

He immediately turned over the wallet to the TAB at City Hall through Atty. Patriarca, who instructed his member Linda Mandi to contact Santos. When contacted, Santos was surprised to discover his wallet missing. The wallet contained P7,200 cash, 4 credit cards, 2 ATM cards and other documents.

During the turnover at the TAB office, Santos thanked Sambeon for his honesty and sincerity and rewarded the driver with P2,000. “Thank you very and may your tribe increase”. Santos likewise thanked the TAB for being the conduit between him and the tricycle driver and for truly performing its mandated duties to look after the welfare and protection of the commuters and regulating the operation of motorized tricycles in the city.

Meanwhile, on the same day that Sambeon exhibited worth-emulating example, Mohnaber Sadjail, also a trike driver from Veterans Avenue came to the TAB office to supposedly face his complainant whom he allegedly charged P1, 500 as passenger fee from Corcuera Street to Guiwan Terminal.

Sadjail could have gotten away with the complaint from the out-of-town passenger since the latter was not able to appear in the office, however, in the process, it was found out that Sadjail was driving a tricycle with an expired franchise documents.

It turned out, Sadjail will have to pay a penalty fee of P2, 000 plus other surcharges-a bit higher compared to the supposed penalty of P1, 500 for overcharging.According to TAB member Mandi, Sadjail’s motorized tricycle with plate number JX-5677 was impounded and will have to settle all the renewal requirements before he can reclaim the unit. — SEC/Richard Aliangan/City Hall PIO